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Post by steven6282 on Mar 18, 2013 11:04:39 GMT -5
Has anyone here rolled a fender before and know if it's something that can be done at home by a non professional? If so can you give me some tips / directions on how to do it? Me and Alan installed some new suspension on my Miata over the weekend and the tires are hitting the fender if I'm turning and hit a bump. The only shop I can find around here that said they could do it for sure wants 180 dollars per axle to do it which is a bit out of my price range right now. But I'd like to try and get something done before the event this weekend. I doubt it would be an issue this weekend since I'm sure this lot is going to be nice and flat out at black lake, but would prefer to play it safe and not have the lip of the fender cut a huge hole in my tire  |
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Post by tedebayer on Mar 18, 2013 11:38:39 GMT -5
Steven... where are you located? If you are in Greenville - Spartanburg - Anderson area, I may be able to help at no cost.
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Post by CoolGuy094 on Mar 18, 2013 11:56:09 GMT -5
I think Mike Kuhn has or had rented a fender roller at some point...
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Post by steven6282 on Mar 18, 2013 12:43:17 GMT -5
Steven... where are you located? If you are in Greenville - Spartanburg - Anderson area, I may be able to help at no cost. I'm in Lexington, SC.. but I don't mind traveling a little if I need to if someone is willing to help me out with it that knows what they are doing hehe I didn't know fender rollers were something that could be rented? Is that like an Advanced rental tool, or a specialty shop somewhere? |
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Post by yellow CR on Mar 18, 2013 18:27:35 GMT -5
I have not done it before, but I do know you need to heat up the fender a little with a hot air gun to make sure the paint doesn't chip away.
I'm sure someone at Steve Rankins shop 42 Autosports in Concord, NC can do it cheaper than 180 per axle.
704.996.1870
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Post by properone on May 31, 2013 4:38:56 GMT -5
I know this is an old thread... but hopefully I can add a bit of helpful information. I performed fender rolls from a professional standpoint for a year or so as I worked in aftermarket wheel/tire retail and installation for a bit. We offered rolls with an Eastwood fender roller. (anywhere from $200-250 retail, you can find them all over the internet). They also offer a "fender finisher" which is like a huge pair of soft-tipped pliers. We heated the whole surface with a heat gun to a very high level (hot to touch) before hand. It takes a steady hand, patience, and an understanding of the angle that the caster wheel needs to sit relative to the fender.
As far as other ways... there are several.
1) Hammer. This is the easiest to "roll" not pull/flare. It is likely to crack paint but if the paint is new enough and enough heat is applied it is possible (using a rubber mallet, not a metal hammer) to roll without paint damage. Possible, though paint damage is still very likely.
2) Baseball bat. This is the internet's favorite way to roll fenders. It does work, though it is extremely difficult to remain accurate and it will almost always pull the fender -- change the outer contour. Which is 1) sometimes unsightly 2) not street touring legal 3) very expensive to reverse
3) newspaper. This is my all time favorite method. Utilizing a heat gun and a large stack (like... half a years worth of newspapers or magazines) you basically force the car to sit on the stack of paper that is on top of the tire.. simulating the tire hitting the fender with a non-abrasive surface (paper). By carefully positioning the paper and using a jack to lower the car onto the stack you can create tire clearance. This method is best for when the tire is just hitting -- not heavy contact. (typically, front fenders as rear fenders tend to be too thick and you end up pulling them). With careful heat the paper is less likely to damage paint as well. This method has worked countless times for us when the roller was not working correctly, or simply.. too big of a tool for minor adjustment.
Of course, being careful (measure twice, cut once... err... roll once) is paramount.
Hope I've helped for those DIY types. If not there are a few businesses that can. My old employer charged $25 per corner (unless its an E46 rear or something like that... that takes a lot of work and costed $50/corner). Unfortunately, both myself and the other (more experienced than I) employee that worked there have both left for other ventures. I believe Motion Lab (associated with Mike Kuhn) can also perform such a service.
P.S. - for the truly "hood rich" a hair dryer can work as a heat gun, though it takes significantly longer to reach effective temperatures
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Post by matthugie on May 31, 2013 12:55:08 GMT -5
Great writeup! I would have never thought of newspaper, but that's a really good idea. If I had a car I was willing to experiment with I'd try that.
For people in the Charlotte area who don't want to try the above, Eurowise also does fender rolling. They did my rears last year and I'm quite happy with the results.
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